Effect of water-sediment regulation and its impact on coastline and suspended sediment concentration in Yellow River Estuary

Implementation of the water-sediment regulation(WSR) scheme, mainly focused on solving the sedimentation problems of reservoirs and the lower reaches of the Yellow River, has inevitably influenced the sediment distribution and coastal morphology of the Yellow River Estuary.Using coastline delineation and suspended sediment concentration(SSC) retrieval methods, this study investigated water and sediment changes,identified detailed inter-annual and intra-annual variations of the coastline and SSC in the normal period(NP: 1986-2001, before and after the flood season) and WSR period(WSRP: 2002-2013, before and after WSR). The results indicate that(1) the sedimentation in the low reaches of the Yellow River turned into erosion from 2002 onward;(2) the inter-annual coastline changes could be divided into an accretion stage(1986-1996), a slow erosion stage(1996-2002), and a slow accretion stage(2002-2013);(3) an intra-annual coastline extension occurred in the river mouth in most years of the WSRP; and(4) the mean intra-annual accretion area was 0.789 km^2 in the NP and 4.73 km2 in the WSRP,and the mean SSC increased from 238 mg/L to 293 mg/L in the NP and from 192 mg/L to 264 mg/L in the WSRP.

Temporal and spatial changes of suspended sediment concentration and resuspension in the Yangtze River estuary

A detailed analysis of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) variations over a year period is presented using the data from 8 stations in the Yangtze River estuary and its adjacent waters, together with a discussion of the hydrodynamic regimes of the estuary. Spatially, the SSC from Xuliujing downwards to Hangzhou Bay increases almost constantly, and the suspended sediment in the inner estuary shows higher concentration in summer than in winter, while in the outer estuary it shows higher concentration in winter than in summer, and the magnitude is greater in the outer estuary than in the inner estuary, greater in the Hangzhou Bay than in the Yangtze River estuary. The sediments discharged by the Yangtze River into the sea are resuspended by marine dynamics included tidal currents and wind waves. Temporally, the SSC shows a pronounced neap-spring tidal cycle and seasonal variations. Furthermore, through the analysis of dynamic mechanism, it is concluded that wave and tidal current are two predominant factors of sediment resuspension and control the distribution and changes of SSC, in which tidal currents control neap-spring tidal cycles, and wind waves control seasonal variations. The ratio between river discharge and marine dynamics controls spatial distribution of SSC.

Intratidal and neap-spring variations of suspended sediment concentrations and sediment transport processes in the North Branch of the Changjiang Estuary

Profles of tidal current and suspended sediment concentration （SSC） were measured in the North Branch of the Changjiang Estuary from neap tide to spring tide in April 2010. The measurement data were analyzed to determine the characteristics of intratidal and neap-spring variations of SSC and suspended sediment transport. Modulated by tidal range and current speed, the tidal mean SSC increased from 0.5 kg/m3 in neap tide to 3.5 kg/ma in spring tide. The intratidal variation of the depth-mean SSC can be summarized into three types： V-shape variation in neap tide, M-shape and mixed M-V shape variation in medium and spring tides. The occurrence of these variation types is controlled by the relative intensity and interaction of resuspension, settling and impact of water exchange from the rise and fall of tide. In neap tide the V-shape variation is mainly due to the dominant effect of the water exchange from the rise and fall of tide. During medium and spring tides, resuspension and settling processes become dominant. The interactions of these processes, together with the sustained high ebb current and shorter duration of low-tide slack, are respon- sible for the M-shape and M-V shape SSC variation. Weakly consolidated mud and high current speed cause significant resuspension and remarkable flood and ebb SSC peaks. Setting occurs at the slack water periods to cause SSC troughs and formation of a thin flufflayer on the bed. Fluxes of water and suspended sediment averaged over the neap-spring cycle are all seawards, but the magnitude and direction of tidal net sediment flux is highly variable.

Experimental Study on Suspended Sediment Concentration and Its Vertical Distribution under Spilling Breaking Wave Actions in Silty Coast

In this paper, flume experiments are focused on sediment transport inside and outside the surf zone. According to the energy dissipation balance principle of sediment-laden flow and the similarity between energy dissipation of spilling breaking wave and hydraulic jump, formulas are proposed to predict time averaged suspended sediment concentration under both non-breaking and breaking waves. Assuming that the sediment diffusion coefficient, which is related with energy dissipation, is proportional to water depth, formulas are proposed to predict close-to-bed suspended sediment concentration and vertical distribution of suspended sediment under spilling breaking waves, and the prediction shows a good agreement with the measurement.

Characteristics of Suspended Sediment Concentrations over the Areas Adjacent to Changjiang River Estuary, the Summer of 1998

A major flood event occurred within the drainage basin of the Changjiang River in June-August, 1998. Survey over the East China Sea adjacent to the Changjiang River estuary shows that during the flood the turbid water (with a suspended sediment concentration of higher than 10 mg l-1) °°′reached 123E. Stratification of the concentration layers was present near 12215E, with the concentration in the bottom layer being 3 times that in the upper layer, in response to sediment °°settling processes. The concentration is the lowest in the area of 126E^127E, representing a characteristic of the Kuroshio water. Although there was some expansion of the turbid water extension compared with the winter situations with low freshwater discharges, the suspended sediment does not appear to disperse towards the northeast from the Changjiang River. Further, several secondary high suspended sediment concentration centers were present on the East China Sea continental shelf, which may result from resuspension of the seabed sediment or advection of seawater containing suspended matter. In order to understand the processes of fine-grained sediment transport/deposition and their impact on the flux of chemical constituents on the shelf, further studies on the hydrodynamics, temperature, salinity and nutrient characteristics are required.

A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON SUSPENDED SEDIMENT CONCENTRATION MEASUREMENTS USING AN ADCP MOUNTED ON A MOVING VESSEL

A DR300 Broad Band ADCP mounted on a vessel moving at a speed of 2-3 m/s was used to measure the profile of suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs) at the entrance to Jiaozhou Bay, Shandong Peninsula, where the water is characterized by low SSCs. The echo intensity data produced by the ADCP were regressed against the SSCs derived using the filtration method. The results show that the calibrated relationship can be used to calculate the SSC, with a relative error of 30%. Therefore, it is feasible to measure the SSC (even if the concentration is low) using the ADCP mounted on a moving vessel. Compared with OBS, ABS and other instruments for SSC measurements, the ADCP represents a potentially powerful tool to retrieve SSC data in continental shelf waters.

Delineating suspended sediment concentration patterns in surface waters of the Changjiang Estuary by remote sensing analysis

Three Landsat TM imageries （taken on 18 May 1987,4 August 1998 and 28 July 2007） were used as the data source to identify the spatial and temporal variations of the suspended sediment concentration （SSC） in surface waters of the Changjiang Estuary.Atmospheric correction was carried out to determine the water-leaving reflectance using the FLAASH module.A regression equation between surveyed SSC and suspended sediment index was chosen to retrieve the SSC from the Landsat TM images.In addition,tidal harmonic analysis was performed to calculate tidal conditions corresponding to the acquisition time of satellite images.The results show that the SSC spatial patterns are similar to the in situ observation results,which show the highest SSC in the region of turbidity maximum zone in the Changjiang Estuary.For the period of 1987 to 2007,the SSC pattern is controlled mainly by tidal dynamic conditions and wind speeds,rather than sediment discharges from the river.

Estimation of suspended sediment concentrations using Pulse-coherent Acoustic Doppler Profiler (PCADP)

The objective of the study is to investigate the suitability of using Pulse-coherent Acoustic Doppler Profiler (PCADP) to estimate suspended sediment concentration (SSC). The acoustic backscatter intensity was corrected for spreading and absorption loss, then calibrated with OBS and finally converted to SSC. The results show that there is a good correlation between SSC and backscatter intensity with R value of 0.74. The mean relative error is 22.4%. Then the time span of little particle size variation was also analyzed to exclude the influence of size variation. The correlation coefficient increased to 0.81 and the error decreased to 18.9%. Our results suggest that the PCADP can meet the requirement of other professional instruments to estimate SSC with the errors between 20% and 50%, and can satisfy the need of dynamics study of suspended particles.

Remote Sensing Retrieval of Surface Suspended Sediment Concentration in the Yellow River Estuary

Accurate assessment of surface suspended sediment concentration(SSSC) in estuary is essential to address several important issues: erosion, water pollution, human health risks, etc. In this study, an empirical cubic retrieval model was developed for the retrieval of SSSC from Yellow River Estuary. Based on sediments and seawater collected from the Yellow River and southeastern Laizhou Bay, SSSC conditions were reproduced in the laboratory at increasing concentrations within a range common to field observations. Continuous spectrum measurements of the various SSSCs ranging from 1 to 5700 mg/l were carried out using an Ava Field-3 spectrometer. The results indicated the good correlation between water SSSC and spectral reflectance(Rrs) was obtained in the spectral range of 726–900 nm. At SSSC greater than 2700 mg/L, the 740–900 nm spectral range was less susceptible to the effects of spectral reflectance saturation and more suitable for retrieval of high sediment concentrations. The best correlations were obtained for the reflectance ratio of 820 nm to 490 nm. Informed by the correlation between Rrs and SSSC, a retrieval model was developed(R2 = 0.992). The novel cubic model, which used the ratio of a near-infrared(NIR) band(740–900 nm) to a visible band(400–600 nm) as factors, provided robust quantification of high SSSC water samples. Two high SSSC centers, with an order of 103 mg/l, were found in the inversion results around the abandoned Diaokou River mouth, the present Yellow River mouth to the abandoned Qingshuigou River mouth. There was little sediment exchange between the two high SSSC centers due to the directions of the residual currents and vertical mixing.

Experimental Research on Quantitative Inversion Models of Suspended Sediment Concentration Using Remote Sensing Technology

Research on quantitative models of suspended sediment concentration(SSC)using remote sensing technology is very important to understand the scouring and siltation variation in harbors and water channels.Based on laboratory study of the relationship between different suspended sediment concentrations and reflectance spectra measured synchronously,quantitative inversion models of SSC based on single factor,band ratio and sediment parameter were developed,which provides an effective method to retrieve the SSC from satellite images.Results show that the b1(430-500nm)and b3(670-735nm)are the optimal wavelengths for the estimation of lower SSC and the b4(780-835nm)is the optimal wavelength to estimate the higher SSC.Furthermore the band ratio B2/B3 can be used to simulate the variation of lower SSC better and the B4/B1 to estimate the higher SSC accurately.Also the inversion models developed by sediment parameters of higher and lower SSCs can get a relatively higher accuracy than the sin-gle factor and band ratio models.

Suspended sediment concentration mapping based on the MODIS satellite imagery in the East China inland, estuarine, and coastal waters

The purpose of this research is to improve the retrieval accuracy for the suspended sediment concentration(SSC) from in situ and satellite remote sensing measurements in turbid East China estuarine and coastal waters. For this aim, three important tasks are formulated and solved: 1) an estimation of remote-sensing reflectance spectra R_(rs)(λ) after atmospheric correction; 2) an estimation of R_(rs)(λ) from the radiometric signals above the air-water surface; and 3) an estimation of SSC from R_(rs)(λ). Six different models for radiometric R_(rs)(λ) determination and 28 models for SSC versus R_(rs)(λ) are analyzed based on the field observations made in the Changjiang River estuary and its adjacent coastal area. The SSC images based on the above-mentioned analysis are generated for the area.

Filling of the Three Gorges Reservoir to the 135-m Level: Instant Effects on the Yangtze Discharge and Suspended Sediment Concentration Entering the Estuary

Via the valuable opportunity of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) 135-m filling in June 2003, the Yangtze discharge and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) entering the estuary during the period from 15 May to 15 July 2003 were analyzed to examine the instant effects of the filling on them. The Yangtze discharge and SSC entering the estuary in the periods before, during and after the filling clearly indicated three phases: 1) the pre-storage phase characterized by natural conditions, in which the SSC increased with increasing water discharge; 2) the storage phase, during which the SSC decreased dramatically with decreasing water discharge; and 3) the post-storage phase, during which both the SSC and water discharge remained at relatively low levels first until the end of June, then the SSC increased gradually with increasing water discharge. It seems that the times for the instant effects of the decreasing discharge downstream from the upper Yangtze on the Yangtze discharge and SSC entering the estuary due to the TGR 135-m filling to take place were about 5 d and 1 d respectively, while both were about 18 d for those of the increasing discharge. This probably reflects the buffering and resultantly hysteresis of the 1800-km stretch from the upper Yangtze to the estuary. The results are helpful for scientific and hydrological investigation of the Yangtze mainstream downstream from the TGR Dam and of the estuarine and adjacent coastal waters.

Feasibility study on the binary-parameter retrieval model of ocean suspended sediment concentration based on MODIS data

This paper brought out a new idea on the retrieval of suspended sediment concentration, which uses both the water-leaving radiance from remote sensing data and the grain size of the suspended sediment. A principal component model and a neural network model based on those two parameters were constructed. The analyzing results indicate that testing errors of the models using the two parameters are 0.256 and 0.244, while the errors using only water-leaving radiance are 0,384 and 0.390. The stability of the models with grain size parameter is also better than the one without grain size. This research proved that it is necessary to introduce the grain size parameter into suspended sediment concentration retrieval models in order to improve the retrieval precision of these models.

Practical Application of the Results for Optically Measured Total Suspended Solids Concentrations in the Drava River

The investigations described in this paper were performed in order to determine whether the concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS) in the Drava River, Slovenia, measured indirectly with optical sensors can be used to determine the amount and particle size of the suspended solids that can settle in stagnant water. The possibility of continuous monitoring of the TSS concentrations would allow a more reliable estimate of the amount of sediment in the accumulation lake of the planned, pumped-storage, hydroelectric power plant into which the water from the Drava River will be pumped. Therefore, during a period of one year, 90 water samples were taken directly at the optical sensors. The amount of sediments and their mineral and chemical compositions were investigated, and particle size analyses were made in 15 samples. Microbiological parameters, which included a determination of the amount of phytoplankton, zooplankton, bacteria, fungi and organic debris, were investigated in all the water samples, and the temperature and pH of the water were measured at the time when the samples were collected. The comparison of the parameters examined with the TSS concentrations showed that these concentrations can serve as a very good estimate of the amount of particles settled in the standing water, as well as of their size. These correlations are clearly expressed in the cases where the amounts of phytoplankton and organic debris in the water are low.

Short-term variations and influencing factors of suspended sediment concentrations at the Heisha Beach,Guangdong,China

Knowledge of sediment variation processes is essential to understand the evolution mechanism of beach morphology changes.Thus,a field measurement was conducted at the Heisha Beach,located on the west coast of the Zhujiang River(Pearl River)Estuary,to investigate the short-term variation in suspended sediment concentrations(SSCs)and the relationship between the SSC and turbulent kinetic energy,bottom shear stress(BSS),and relative wave height.Based on extreme event analysis results,extreme events have a greater influence on turbulent kinetic energy than SSC.Although a portion of the turbulent kinetic energy dissipates directly into the water column,it plays an important role in suspended sediment motion.Most of the time,the wave-current interaction is strong enough to drive sediment incipience and resuspension.When combined,the wave-current interaction and wave-induced BSSs have a greater influence on suspended sediment transport and SSC variation than current-induced BSS alone.The relative wave height also has a strong correlation with SSC,indicating that the combined effect of water depth and wave height significantly impacts SSC variation.Water depth is mainly controlled by the tide on the beaches;thus,the effects of tides and waves should be conjunctively considered when analyzing the factors influencing SSC.

Dual Behavior of Suspended Sediment Concentration in a Regulated River

Better understanding of suspended sediment transport processes allows for better management of both rivers and coasts. Based on field data and sediment transport energy theory, this study presents an analysis on the suspended sediment hysteresis in the Lower Tenryu River of Japan in connection to the channel carrying capacity of suspended sediment and morphological characteristics. The transport of suspended sediment in the river exhibited dual behaviors according to the magnitude of flood. It was transport-limited in a 10-year flood while supply-limited in a 30-year flood. In the supply-limited case, the temporal variation of suspended sediment concentrations followed the hydrograph well. In the transport-limited case, however, there was a time lag between peak discharge and maximum suspended sediment concentration. The mechanism of time lag was further clarified to be different for the 10-year flood and a small flood. The objective of this paper is to shed some new light on the relationship of suspended sediment to flow and channel conditions.

Laboratory Application of Laser Grain-Size Analyzer in Determining Suspended Sediment Concentration

Suspended sediment concentration(SSC) is an important parameter in marine sedimentology. With the development of technology, many acoustic and optical devices, such as the Laser In-Situ Scattering and Transmissometry, have been designed to measure in situ SSC and grain size distribution. But due to fund or other restrictions, many experiments were only conducted in laboratory, using an indoor laser grain-size analyzer and gravimetric method to measure grain size distribution and concentration, respectively. In this study the laboratory experiment is simplified by omitting the tiring step of gravimetric method. The connections between SSC and other parameters(obscuration, D50 and sorting index) were investigated based on 124 surface sediment samples collected from different offshore areas. A new method is developed for determining SSC in laboratory using a laser grain-size analyzer.

Numerical simulation on the process of saltwater intrusion and its impact on the suspended sediment concentration in the Changjiang(Yangtze)estuary

To study the relationship between sediment transportation and saltwater intrusion in the Changjiang (Yangtze) estuary, a three-dimensional numerical model for temperature, salinity, velocity field, and suspended sediment concentration was established based on the ECOMSED model. Using this model, sediment transportation in the flood season of 2005 was simulated for the Changjiang estuary. A comparison between simulated results and observation data for the tidal level, flow velocity and direction, salinity and suspended sediment concentration indicated that they were consistent in overall. Based on model verification, the simulation of saltwater intrusion and its effect on sediment in the Changjiang estuary was analyzed in detail. The saltwater intrusion in the estuary including the formation, evolution, and disappearance of saltwater wedge and the induced vertical circulation were reproduced, and the crucial impact of the wedge on cohesive and non-cohesive suspended sediment distribution and transportation were successfully simulated. The result shows that near the salinity front, the simulated concentrations of both cohesive and non-cohesive suspended sediment at the surface layer had a strong relationship with the simulated velocity, especially when considering a 1-hour lag. However, in the bottom layer, there was no obvious correlation between them, because the saltwater wedge and its inducing vertical circulation may have resuspended loose sediment on the bed, thus forming a high-concentration area near the bottom even if the velocity near the bottom was very low during the transition phase from flood to ebb.

Flood-ebb asymmetry in current velocity and suspended sediment transport in the Changjiang Estuary

Time series measurements were conducted on suspended sediment and current velocity from neap tide to spring tide in the South Branch of the upper Changjiang Estuary in the summer of 2011. Strong flood-ebb asymmetry in the current velocity was observed in the South Branch as a result of high river runoff and tide deformation, in which the magnitude and duration of ebb currents were significantly greater than those of flood currents. The suspended sediment concentration（SSC） and suspended median grain size also exhibited remarkable flood-ebb variation; these variables were considerably larger during the ebb than during the flood and increased from neap to spring tide. Affected by the strong asymmetry in the current velocity and SSC between the flood and ebb,suspended sediment flux during the ebb was notably larger than during the flood, and a seaward tidal net flux was observed in each tidal cycle. The balance of sediment flux illustrates that the seaward sediment transport was dominated by river flow and tidal trapping and the landward sediment transport was dominated by the Stokes drift and the shear effect. Notable resuspension occurred during the spring and moderate tides. The critical velocity for the resuspension of bed sediments was estimated based on the correlation between current velocity with SSC and suspended median grain size. The results show that the critical velocity was approximately 40 cm/s during the flood phases and approximately 80 cm/s during the ebb phases because the surficial flood bed sediments located in the lower reach are much finer than the surficial ebb bed sediments located in the upper reach. The flood-ebb variation in the critical erosion velocity has significant effect on the intratidal variation of SSC and sediment transport process, and it is a common phenomenon in many estuaries of the world due to the complicated spatial distribution of bed sediments.

Estimation of suspended sediment flux from acoustic Doppler current profiling along the Jinhae Bay entrance

A Nortek acoustic Doppler current profiler (NDP) was installed on a moving vessel to survey the entrance to the Jinhae Bay on August 22~23, 2001. The current velocity and acoustic backscattering signal were collected along two cross-sections; water samples were also collected during the measurement. The acoustic signals were normalized to compensate for the loss incurred by acoustic beam spreading in the seawater. The in situ calibration shows that a significant relationship is present between suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) and normalized acoustic signals. Two acoustic parameters have been determined to construct an acoustic-concentration model. Using this derived model, the SSC patterns along the surveyed cross-sections were obtained by the conversion of acoustic data. Using the current velocity and SSC data, the flux of suspended sediment was estimated. It indicates that the sediment transport into the bay through the entrance has an order of magnitude of 100 t per tidal cycle.